The Indian Army uses the Casspir Mine Protected Vehicle
Denel's Mechem division has developed a weapons carrier variant of its Casspir NG2000 mine-protected vehicle. Like the basic armoured personnel carrier (APC), logistics, and recovery variants, the weapons carrier will be available in 4x4 and 6x6 configurations with several engine/transmission options.
The vehicle provides protection against small-arms fire, shell fragments, and a 14 kg charge under any wheel. It will cruise over reasonable terrain at 40 km/h and give a range of around 800 km with its standard fuel tank.
The weapons carrier marries the mine-protected hull to a new top structure comprising a large cab with seats for six crew members and a rear door that provides direct access to the open load bed on the back of the vehicle.
The bed can be fitted with palletised weapons, allowing standardisation and quick configuration to suit the requirements of a particular operation. The palletisation system also means weapons can easily be transferred when the vehicles they are mounted on become unserviceable.
The weapons being considered are 81 or 82 mm mortars (with an uprated rear suspension to handle the recoil), a 107 mm multiple rocket launcher, recoilless guns/rifles, a twin 23 mm ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun, a single 20 mm cannon, and twin or single 14.5 mm heavy machine guns. The vehicle could also be fitted with a pallet for a guided anti-tank missile system, such as the Denel Dynamics Ingwe, or a lightweight air defence system such as the Thales Starstreak.
The new variant is also suited to other roles, such as deploying the Rheinmetall Denel Munition Plofadder line charge for clearing minefields or carrying explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robots.
Another possible use is for long-range reconnaissance as the cab can accommodate a four-man team while the load bed can carry the additional stores and equipment needed for an extended mission.